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GULU, Uganda (AP) - Ugandan rebels have walked out of peace talks aimed at ending a 19-year conflict in which thousands of civilians have died, officials said Thursday. Lord's Resistance Army rebels said they were boycotting the talks with the government because of a heavy military buildup by the Ugandan army, a senior rebel leader said.
"The Juba peace talks are in grave threat and danger of failure due to the unfolding heavy military deployment of UPDF (Uganda People's Defense Forces) troops in Uganda, Southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo," Martin Ojul, head of the rebel team negotiating a peace deal with the government, told The Associated Press.
"Until these issues, which are of grave concern to us, are resolved, the negotiations with the Ugandan government are on hold," he added. Ojul said the LRA were committed to peace to end one of Africa's longest wars and said they had no other option but to walk out.
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